Carmi (population 5,400) is located in southeastern Illinois in White County along the
Little Wabash River, serving as the county seat. Illinois Routes 1 and 14 run thru the community. Carmi was first settled
as early as 1809, then chartered in 1816. It is believed that the city's name comes from the Bible as Carmi was a nephew to
Joseph, and was mentioned several times in the Old Testament.

The founders of Carmi were Leonard White (whom the county was named after) and Lowry
Hay, and they were joint proprietors to the site that was named Carmi. Another famous resident of Carmi, Colonel
Everton Conger, was involved in the capture of John Wilkes Booth after the latter shot President
Abraham Lincoln.

According to a history of White County from 1883, the first school was opened in Carmi in 1841 when
a frame schoolhouse was constructed for a subscription school. The following passage from the link below gives a glimpse into
what education was like in Carmi and throughout Illinois prior to 1855 Free School Act:

“When
the free school law was passed in 1856, people got busy. They elected Berry Crebs, Albert R. Shannon and Dr. E. L. Stewart to a school board. Samuel Slocumb erected a large brick schoolhouse on Fourth Street. J.
L. Waterman was the first
principal. The second was N. B. Hodsdon, with Miss P. L. Dewey as associate teacher.

"Before the free school was opened it was a struggle for many to get an education. The term usually lasted three months and the cost — $2 to $2.50
per term — was high
for many families. Youngsters
were expected to earn their school money. They dug ginseng, gathered nuts, chopped wood, hunted rabbits and caught coons.

"Orlando Burrell chopped 10 cords of wood for James Ratcliff at 25c per cord to pay for a school term."

That brick schoolhouse was built at a cost of four to five thousand dollars,
and later spread to nine schools in Carmi by 1883. Carmi High School was in business in 1885 when it opened
on the second floor of the South Side School building, which was built in 1876. One student finished the four-year
course starting in 1885 as Winnie Maroney was awarded the first diploma in 1889.

When the high school was formed, it was done so as a local district institution,
which meant that students outside of the district had to pay tuition as much as $100 to $125 to attend. But in 1913, things
changed as the state of Illinois passed legislation to create non-high school districts, and that meant taxpayers
paid the tuition (rather than the students) for them to attend the high school of their choice. The following year, Carmi High became
Carmi Township High as it reorganized its territory and accepted more students, including some that lived in the non-high
school areas.

Twelve students were part of the first graduating class from CTHS in 1915,
and at the same time, plans were being made to build a new school due to the lack of space at the South Side School location
it started at in 1885. Once the new building was completed in 1920 (see photo above), more subjects could be offered to the
student body, including expanded agriculture courses (which had begun in 1914), typing, bookkeeping, and biology, setting
the number of credits needed for graduation at 16.

With the new school, the first graduating class numbered 24, and did so
from the auditorium of the new building. Over time, the school added on a new assembly hall & gymnasium by 1935,
and the demands to improve facilities as well as meet state education standards after World War II shifted focus on adding
on wings to the existing 1920 structure. The east and west additions were completed and ready by the fall of 1954, but
a fire damaged the middle building & gymnasium on January 2, 1955, and they were rebuilt on the site,
as was an additional gym for girls to the west wing. Carmi later changed reorganized as a community high school around 1970.

In 1988, talks with nearby Crossville resulted in a new school being formed, White County. All students now attend classes in Carmi in the former Carmi High building.

FACTS ABOUT CARMI TOWNSHIP/COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL

Year opened as Carmi High School:
1885

Renamed Carmi Township High School:
1914

Renamed Carmi Community High:
early 1970's

Year closed:
1988

School colors:
Maroon & White

School nickname:
Bulldogs

School paper & yearbook:
Carmian

Carmi High School building, destroyed in 1954 fire

courtesy of http://white.ilgenweb.net/postcards.html

ATHLETICS

The Carmi Bulldogs were competitive in a number of sports, including baseball, basketball, football, cross-country, golf,
gymnastics, tennis, track, and wrestling for the boys, while the girls competed in basketball, golf, softball, tennis, track,
and volleyball. We are uncertain of their conference affiliations, so we are asking for some assistance from someone
who may know what conferences the Bulldogs played in prior to their consolidation with Crossville. Here's a look
back at Carmi athletic history, courtesy of the IHSA (www.ihsa.org).

BOYS BASEBALL

The boys of spring at Carmi were successful on the diamond, taking one district title along with five regional championships,
one sectional plaque, and qualified for the state class A tournament in its final year of existance.

Even though the Lady Bulldogs did not bring home any IHSA hardware for the school's trophy case, they were very competitive.
The final three seasons below were a mere indication of what was to happen for the future when the school became White County
as that school went on to take several regional titles as well as bringing home trophies for both third and fourth
place finishes.

The Bulldogs held their own against all comers in southern Illinois as well as other states, while winning
21 regional plaques and two Class A sectional titles. A member of the Illinois Basketball Coaches' Association Hall of
Fame, John McDougal, cut some of coaching teeth while mentoring Carmi before going on to coach at Aurora West,
Rockford Lutheran, and Northern Illinois University.

The Lady Bulldogs joined the hardwood scene in the mid-1970's to compliment what their male counterparts did. One regional
title was won by Carmi in the 1979-80 school year. Here's a look back at their history:

Seven undefeated regular seasons and one playoff berth are some of the big highlights for Carmi Bulldog
football. Three of those seasons were coached by men who would wind up inducted into state Hall of Fames: John McDougal (basketball),
Don Shroyer (football), and Gene Haile (football). Shroyer also went on to coach at Millikin and Southern Illinois.

Under coach Georgia Bramlet, Carmi started out taking three district titles in the former one-class system when the season
was from November to January. It remained competitive after the seasonal change beginning with the 1978-79 school
year, and it remains that way today at White County High.

The Bulldog linksters had the school's spotlight, winning five consecutive state class A titles, and having the medalist
on three occasions under coaches Dave Johnson & Mike Croghan! Carmi's rich tradition on the course continues today, having
brought home two top-five finishes as White County in 2002 & 2003.

The Lady Bulldogs also excelled on the links like the boys, having a individual finish in the top 10 for three consecutive
years, and one team placed in the standings at the state finals. We are in need of the coaches' name for the 1986-87
team.

1980-81 Individual
Finalist

Mary Fechtig---2nd place (167, two strokes back)

1981-82 Individual
Finalist

Mary
Fechtig---8th place (165, 12 strokes back)

1982-83 Individual
Finalist

Mary Fechtig---7th place (159, seven strokes back)

1986-87IHSA
State Meet 10TH Place! (Coach's name unavailable)

Regional Champions

State Final Standings

1 Wilmette Regina Dominican 698

10
Carmi 823

BOYS GYMNASTICS

In the early days of the state gymnastics meet hosted by the IHSA, the Bulldogs were one of the top teams that competed
along with the big boys in the Chicagoland area for the coveted gold trophy. A number of Carmi individuals placed in the top
five of their events, including Gary Danner, who was a state champion in tumbling during one state final event. We are still
in need of some information, such as the name or names of head coaches who led the program during these seasons, and first
names for a number of the competitors.

The Bulldogs were competitive on the courts of Southern Illinois, taking home five district titles in the one-class system
under three different coaches, and continued to win their share of matches thru the final days of being known as just Carmi
High School.

The Lady Bulldog netters started slow, but worked their way towards respectability in the school's final years. After
their consolidation with Crossville, Carmi's girls' tennis program finished undefeated two seasons later.

The Bulldog harriers had success over hill and dale, qualifying for the state three times in eight years, plus won a
couple of plaques for display in the trophy case. The final Carmi team help set up a memorable school year, led by runner
Mitch Rusell in both cross-country and track (see below).

1979-80
IHSA Class 'A' District Champs (coach unknown)

Team Qualified for State Meet

1985-86
IHSA Class 'A' Regional Champs (coach unknown)

Team Qualified for State Meet

1987-88 Team
Qualified for State Meet (coach unknown)

Individual Placer

Mitch Russell---3rd overall (14:59, 11 seconds back)

BOYS TRACK & FIELD

Carmi had its share of individual finalists among its thinclad teams, as well as teams that were district champs.
In the school's final year (1987-88), the Bulldogs tied for ninth place on the strength of runner Mitch Russell at the
state Class "A" Meet.

1938-39 Individual
Finalist

Jack Bonnell---2nd place in 100-yard dash

1945-46
District Champions
coach unknown

1954-55
Individual Finalist

Roy Miller---4th place in high jump

1955-56
District Champions
coach unknown

1975-76
District Champions - Class 'A' coach unknownRelay Finalist

1-mile relay---5th place in Class 'A'

1976-77
Relay Finalist

1-mile
relay---4th place in Class 'A'

1986-87
Individual Finalist

Mitch Rusell---3rd place in Class 'A' 800-meter run

1987-88
IHSA Class 'A' Meet - 9TH Place! coach unknown

State Final Standings

1) Cairo
58

9) Breese Mater Dei 16

Carmi
16

Individual
Finalist

Mitch Russell---2nd place in both the 800 & 1600 runs

GIRLS TRACK

Very little information was found about the Carmi girls' track team, but we were able to find out that one Lady Bulldog
came home with a medal from the 1982 Class 'A' Finals in Charleston.

1981-82
Individual Finalist

Angie Ward---3rd place in 200-meter hurdles

BOYS WRESTLING

The Bulldogs took the mats with other schools in Southern Illinois during the winter months to show their hard-nosed
side. Even though the win-loss records may not be able to show it, Carmi competed and won their share of team battles, especially
in the school's final years under coach Mike Harre.

Away from the classrooms and athletic venues, Carmi was represented in speech team events. The IHSA's website
states that one student was a finalist in radio speaking and came away with a top-five finish.

1963-64 Mike Hassan---4th place in radio speaking

FAMOUS GRADUATES OF CARMI HIGH SCHOOL

Brigadier General Frederick Joseph Karch (1935),
son of former Carmi Township High School Principal Henry Karch. After graduation, attended the University of Illinois and
the U.S. Naval Academy before commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps in 1940. Karch served in World War II and
Vietnam before retiring in 1967. More about his career can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_J._Karch.

Glenn Poshard (1962)This Bulldog grad served in Korea as well as graduated
with three degrees from Southern Illinois University. Poshard also served as a state senator and Congressman from 1984-1999
before being going back to SIU as a Vice Chancellor. He was also appointed to serve on the Board of Trustees at SIU in 2003,
and later became school president, according to this link: http://www.siu.edu/pres/biography.html

Marilou (York) Hamill (1973) After graduating from Carmi Community High School,
she would later marry the star of the first three movies released in the "Star Wars" series, Mark Hamill ("Luke Skywalker").

WE'RE ALWAYS INTERESTED IN MORE INFORMATION....

and that's where YOU can come in to help us remember the glory days of Carmi Township/Community High School.
Photos of the school are greatly appreciated, as are other pieces of information and memories of attending, too. Please contact
us at dr.veeman@gmail.com or write to us at: